How to grow dwarf dahlia varieties? A detailed guide to care methods

To achieve dwarfing in dahlias, you can use water control, pinching, and the application of growth retardants. Generally, potted dahlias are cultivated using the Aishen variety, and propagation can be done by cuttings. So how should dwarf dahlia varieties be cared for?

Dwarf dahlia varieties

Newly planted seedlings should first be placed in a small pot with a diameter of 10 cm. When the seedlings reach 15 cm in height, transplant them into a large pot with a diameter of 25 cm. For potting soil, use 5 parts garden soil, 3 parts river sand, and 2 parts compost soil, mixed evenly. Line the bottom of the pot with coarse sand about 3 cm thick, add a small amount of decomposed cake fertilizer on top, cover it lightly with growing medium, then plant the seedlings with their root balls. During the growing season, water according to the principle of "water when dry, not when wet" - do not water if not dry, and water thoroughly when you do. Provide ample sunlight during the growing period to prevent thin stems. Dahlias are quite fond of fertilizer; during growth, apply a dilute cake fertilizer solution once every half month, switch to once a week after buds appear, and spray 1 to 2 times with a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution. In the hot summer, it enters a semi-dormant state, so pause fertilizing, increase ventilation and mist the environment to cool it down, creating a relatively cool microclimate. Because its flower heads are large and its stems are hollow, the flower stems should be staked promptly for support. To promote robust flower heads, thin the flowers promptly, and also cut away spent flowers and withered stems early. After the above-ground stems and leaves wither in late autumn, you can dig out the tuberous roots, cut off the stems and leaves, and store them in a cool room in slightly moist sand. Alternatively, they can be left in the pot soil to overwinter, but the room temperature must not be lower than 3°C to 5°C.

How to grow dahlias - Dahlia cultivation methods

Dahlias originated in the tropical highlands of Mexico at an altitude of 1,500 m. They are neither cold-tolerant nor able to withstand extreme heat. The climate there is mild and cool, with a low-temperature period during which they go dormant. In China, the climate in places like Liaoning and Jilin is suitable for dahlias, and they grow well there. They are also cultivated to a considerable extent in the Yangtze River basin and the Jiangnan region.

>Cultivation techniques

Root division propagation: Because dahlias have tuberous roots with a root collar that serve as propagating material, when dividing, each section must include part of the root collar and tuberous roots, otherwise new plants cannot sprout. To facilitate propagation, the pre-burying method is often used to force sprouting; after the adventitious buds on the root collar sprout, divide and plant. The division method is simple and easy, with a high survival rate and strong seedlings, but the number of propagated plants is limited.

Cutting propagation: This is the main propagation method for dahlias, with a high multiplication rate. It is generally done in early spring, and also in summer and autumn. Cuttings taken in March to April in a greenhouse or hotbed have the highest survival rate. Cuttings are taken from sprouted tuberous roots. When the first pair of leaves at the base of a new shoot unfolds, you can peel it off from the base for cutting. You can also cut above one node at the base of a new shoot, and later take young shoots from the axillary buds as they grow, thus obtaining more cuttings. Spring cuttings, after full growth through summer and autumn, can bloom the same year. From June to early August, shoots can be taken from growing plants for summer cuttings, but the survival rate is lower than spring cuttings. Cuttings in September to October have a lower survival rate than spring but higher than summer. The cutting medium should be sandy loam with a small amount of leaf mold or peat.

Seed propagation: Only used for flowerbed varieties and breeding. In summer, seed set is often poor due to heat and humidity, so seeds are mostly collected from those that mature after the autumn cool. Double-flowered varieties rarely produce seeds and require artificial pollination. Sowing is generally done in seed boxes at around 20°C; seedlings emerge in 4 to 5 days. After true leaves grow, transplant them separately, and they bloom after 1 to 2 years.

Cultivation management: Dahlia stems are tall, juicy, and tender, so stakes should be set up to prevent wind damage, though dwarf varieties do not need this. Watering should follow the principle of watering only after the soil has dried out. In summer, after consecutive cloudy days followed by sudden bright sun, promptly spray water on the ground and leaves to cool them down, otherwise the leaves will develop scorched edges and turn yellow and withered. During the dog days, when there is no rain, besides daily watering, also spray water to cool down. After buds appear, apply liquid fertilizer once every 10 days until the buds show color. Before frost, leave 10 to 15 cm of the root collar, cut off the branches and leaves, dig up the tuberous roots, let them dry in place for 1 to 2 days, then store them indoors in dry sand. The storage room temperature should be around 5°C.

For potted dahlias, it is best to repot multiple times. Choose a shallow pot with a wide opening, and enlarge the drainage hole at the bottom as much as possible, lining the bottom with a layer of broken tiles as a drainage layer. The growing medium must contain half sandy soil. The final repotting should include enough base fertilizer to provide ample nutrition; other management is the same as for field planting. For cut-flower dahlias, the key cultivation points are the same as for field planting, with a plant spacing of 50 to 100 cm, applying liquid fertilizer once every half month during the peak growing season, pinching appropriately, and retaining more side branches.

2012-09-11 14:41 Dahlia cultivation methods

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2012-08-06 14:03 How to propagate dahlias? Dahlia cultivation methods

How to grow dahlias? Dahlia cultivation methods

Dahlias have a long flowering period, large and brilliantly colored flowers, and abundant blooms. They are very beautiful and have high ornamental value. So how should dahlias be grown? Here is an introduction to dahlia cultivation methods.

Dahlia cultivation methods

1. Soil: Dahlias grow best in loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam. They require crop rotation and have moderate fertility requirements; they grow well at pH 6.7-7.8.

2. Sunlight: Dahlias love light and are not shade-tolerant. If kept in a shaded place for a long time, they grow poorly, with weak roots, thin leaves and stems, small and pale flowers, and some may even fail to bloom. Therefore, dahlias should be placed in a spot with ample sunlight. During the leaf-growing period, they need sufficient light, requiring more than 6 hours of sunlight per day, so that the plants are robust and the flowers large and full. If daily sunlight is less than 4 hours, stem and leaf branching and flower bud formation will be affected to some extent; especially with cloudy and rainy weather and insufficient light, flowering will be poor, stems and leaves will grow poorly, and they are prone to disease.

3. Temperature: They prefer a cool climate and are not strict about ecological factors, so they are quite adaptable. During the growing period, they are not demanding about temperature and can grow normally between 5-35°C, but 10-25°C is most suitable.

4. Watering: The amount of water given can control the height of dahlia plants. During the seedling stage, control moisture to promote dwarfing. In summer, to lower temperature, increase air humidity, and reduce water evaporation from dahlia stems and leaves, spray water 1-2 times daily. Water once at 3-4 pm, and the amount should not be too large.

5. Fertilizing: Dahlias love fertilizer. During the growing period, apply top dressing once every 7-10 days, or apply dilute liquid fertilizer 2 to 3 times. However, because dahlias dislike heat and are often semi-dormant in summer, you may skip fertilizing or apply very dilute fertilizer during this stage. After the plants bud, increase phosphorus fertilizer to make the flowers bloom better. Dahlia roots are rather delicate, and concentrated fertilizer should be avoided throughout the entire growing process.

6. Pests and diseases: Dahlias generally mainly suffer from problems such as powdery mildew, gray mold, bacterial wilt, viral diseases, and stem borers, so pesticides should be sprayed regularly for treatment.

7. Pruning: To cultivate dahlias with medium or small flowers, only remove the side buds on several nodes of the lower stem so they bloom successively. If you want to cultivate large single blooms, keep only the terminal bud and remove all other side buds. At the end of June and beginning of July, after the first flowering, as the weather gradually warms, plant growth slows, and pruning can be done at this time. When pruning, first twist the stem in the middle of the branch between two leaves and bend it downward, leaving a height of 20-30 cm. After a few days, once the wound has dried and shrunk, cut it. This prevents rainwater from entering the hollow stem and causing rot. By October, they can bloom again.

Precautions for dahlia cultivation

1. Avoid waterlogging: Dahlia roots are thick, juicy, fleshy roots with a strong need for air, so the soil must be loose, breathable, and well-drained. If the soil is compacted and waterlogged with insufficient oxygen, it easily causes root rot and even death. But dahlias have many leaves and large flowers, with high transpiration and water consumption, so they need a certain amount of water. If high temperature and dryness cause leaf wilting, water immediately, aiming to water thoroughly in one go, and strictly avoid overwatering to prevent waterlogging. After rain, when the sky clears, dahlia leaves may wilt, mainly because the potting soil is too wet, root hairs are damaged, and water cannot be absorbed, plus leaf transpiration loses water. But at this time do not water immediately; you can spray the leaves with water several times. After the soil dries slightly and new roots grow and restore absorption, normal watering can resume.

2. Avoid shade: Dahlias love light and are not shade-tolerant. In an environment with insufficient light and damp shade, the root system becomes weak, absorption capacity declines, leaf photosynthesis decreases, flower bud development is incomplete, flowers are small and dull, and it may even be difficult to bloom. If light deficiency lasts a long time, the plant becomes weak and easily dies. Therefore, during dahlia cultivation, the environment must ensure sufficient sunlight for normal growth and development and brilliant blooms. In an environment with insufficient light and damp shade, the root system is weak, absorption declines, leaf photosynthesis is low, flower bud development is poor, flowers are small and dull, and it may even be difficult to bloom. If severe light deficiency lasts a long time, the plant becomes weak and eventually dies. Therefore, the dahlia cultivation environment must maintain ample sunlight for normal growth and development and brilliant blooms.

3. Avoid concentrated fertilizer: Dahlia roots are plump and strong, with many large branches and leaves, and a high fertilizer demand. When planting, besides applying sufficient base fertilizer, timely top dressing is also needed. Top dressing should be light and frequent, avoiding concentrated fertilizer, to prevent root burn that causes withered branches and dead seedlings.

4. Avoid extreme heat: Dahlias prefer warmth and coolness and cannot tolerate extreme summer heat. The suitable growing temperature is 20 to 25°C. Therefore, dahlias grow and develop well in late spring, early summer, late autumn, and early winter. But by July-August, as temperatures rise, growth slows, and flowering is poor or stops. So in summer, pay attention to water supply to ensure healthy growth of the seedlings.

5. Avoid too many flowers: Too many large dahlia flowers leads to poor flower quality and a shorter flowering period, so flowers should be appropriately controlled. Starting from shaping, pinch to promote branching, and as the branches grow, continually remove small buds, keeping only the terminal bud, to promote strong branches. After budding, besides keeping one strong bud on each short branch, simply cut off the extra buds, ensuring the flowers are large and brilliant when they bloom.

The above is an introduction to dahlia cultivation methods. Friends who like dahlias can refer to these cultivation methods and grow them appropriately.